The virtual Relay card is a Visa debit card that allows you to spend funds directly from one of your Relay checking accounts. The Relay Visa debit card is issued by Thread Bank, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere credit cards are accepted.
Relay provides up to 50 free Visa debit cards per business, and this includes both physical and virtual cards.
Virtual Relay cards can be used for online transactions and are compatible with your digital wallet for in-person payments at participating merchants. Virtual cards are also activated immediately upon creation, so you can start making payments right away!
For information on using your physical Relay debit card, please see Use your physical Relay card.
Relay card fees
Relay does not charge any fees for using your debit cards; however, when using your Relay Visa card with international merchants, or with merchants that process in non-USD currencies, Visa charges an ISA fee. This is a 1-2% fee that is automatically added to the transaction.
Spending limits
To use your Relay debit card, you must first make a deposit into the corresponding checking account linked to the card. To view your maximum card limits for the account, please see Viewing your account limits. In addition to the limits on your account, you can set card-specific limits for all of your Relay cards. For more information on how to view and edit your card limits, please see Editing your Relay card.
The maximum amount you can spend on your card when making contactless payments is determined by the merchant and country where the purchase is being made. Most merchants set this limit at $100 per transaction, however, it is best to first confirm with the merchant their specific contactless payment limit.
Refunds and disputes
Card refunds are processed by merchants, and not by Relay. The processing time for card refunds is determined by the returning financial institution, vendor, or merchant. If you're expecting to receive a refund on your Relay debit card, we recommend confirming with the merchant their specific return processing time.
Please note: Relay is not able to see the refund status on our end, and we are unable to provide an update on the status of a pending refund. The merchant will be your best point of contact to confirm these details!
If you do not recognize a transaction on your card, or if the transaction is unauthorized, we recommend freezing and terminating the card and filing a dispute. For more information on this, please see What should I do if I see unauthorized card transactions on my Relay account?
Save your Relay card for faster online checkout
You can save your Relay card in a trusted password manager or browser autofill tool to make online checkout faster. This can be useful for both physical and virtual Relay cards.
To save your card, go to Cards in Relay and view the card number, CVV, and expiry date for the card you want to use. Then follow the instructions from your password manager or browser to add a new payment method.
Please note: physical cards must be activated before you can view their card details in Relay.
For setup steps, visit your provider’s help center:
- 1Password: Save and fill credit cards and addresses
- Bitwarden: Autofill cards and identities
- Dashlane: Manage payment cards and accounts saved in Dashlane
- Google Chrome: Manage payment info in Chrome
- Safari on Mac: Change AutoFill settings in Safari
- Microsoft Edge — Saving credit or debit card info in Microsoft Edge
- Firefox: Automatically fill in credit card and payment method data on Web forms
If your card details change, make sure to update the saved card information anywhere you’ve stored it.
Card Expiration and Replacement
All Relay cards—both virtual and physical—have an expiry date printed in MM/YY format.
Virtual cards
When a virtual card expires, a replacement is not created automatically. You’ll need to manually create a new virtual card from your dashboard. About one month before your current virtual card expires, you’ll receive an in-app or email notification reminding you to replace it.
Physical cards
One month before your physical card expires, a new card will be issued and mailed to your business address on file. Once the new card arrives, you’ll need to activate it manually from your Relay dashboard. The old card will automatically deactivate after its expiry date.
Notifications & Expiration timing
A card that expires 11/25 remains valid through the last day of November 2025. It expires at 11:59 PM on November 30, 2025.
Currently, email notifications are not sent automatically when a card expires. You’ll see in-app alerts reminding you to activate your new card before your old one deactivates.